Avatar Korra
by Rowan.The.White
Summary: Set after episode two. Korra and Mako start their adventure to save the city from the mysterious Amon, while learning to deal with their growing feelings for each other. MakoxKorra
1. Chapter 1

Korra was bored out of her mind. It was a beautiful sunny day out and birds swooped back and forth around her, clearly enjoying their freedom. The thought made her feel even worse. Here she was, stuck sitting until her butt was numb, when she could be out roaming the city or sparring with Bolin or Mako. Their next match was coming up and she was determined to prove herself. The thought of fighting in the Pro-Bending arena again made Korra feel more excited than she had in a long time. It also made it very hard for her to just sit here. She fidgeted and shifted back and forth until Tenzin shot her a look that clearly told her to sit still.

"Tenzin," she started sweetly, batting her blue eyes at him. "Didn't we already go over this? Meditation just isn't my thing. I don't get it. But since I already showed improvement, maybe I could take a quick break..."

"Just because you managed to move like an airbender once during a match, doesn't mean you can just stop your training," Tenzin replied, sounding exasperated and rubbed his forehead.

"Then let me go out and fight some more!" she exclaimed, punching her fist into her hand. The thought of a fight make her skin tingle with anticipation.

"You can't just go get in a fight whenever you want!" Tenzin boomed, getting red. They had already gone over this several times. "Being the Avatar means learning peace and-"

"Yeah, I know," Korra cut him off. Ignoring his look of outrage, she stood up and dusted off her pants. "I'm gonna go grab something to eat."

Heading into the kitchen, she snagged an orange out of a bowl, then went to the front of the house, planning on going outside to eat and maybe brush Naga. But as she headed outside, she spotted Mako leaning against the side of the building, hands in his pockets.

"Mako!" she exclaimed, surprised to see him here. Since you had to take a boat over to the Air Temple Island, she hadn't expected either of the brothers to come visit her.

"Korra." He said calmly, nodding to her. "I was waiting to see if you would come out. Bolin and I are training today and he wanted you to join us so I offered to come get you."

Korra noticed that he said _Bolin_ wanted her to join them. Jerk. But how could she resist an offer like that?

"Give me a second to change," she said, and ran back in the house, hoping Tenzin wouldn't spot her.

A minute later she was outside and ready to go. For the first time, she took a good look at Mako and stopped dead. That scarf. He was wearing a red scarf. And it looked so damn good on him. That paired with his casual clothes was enough to make her throat go dry. Calm down Korra, she thought to herself. You're being ridiculous.

Swallowing loudly, Korra ignored Mako's raised eyebrow and whistled. Naga can bursting around the corner, tail wagging and tongue flopping, knocking over Mako in a desperate attempt to lick his face.

"Good girl," Korra laughed, enjoying Mako's outraged face. He muttered to himself, finally pushing Naga off, and glared at Korra. Naga's raspy tounge had left half of his face red and he looked a bit rumpled.

"What? It's not my fault Naga likes how you taste," Korra said, pulling herself onto Naga's back. Holding out her hand for Mako, she explained, "It will be much quicker to ride Naga. She's a great swimmer."

Mako just grabbed Korra's hand, his rough palm sliding against hers, and hoisted himself up behind her. Korra shivered, feeling his warm breath on the back of her neck.

"Go Naga!" she said, nudging her in the sides, and Naga took off. Mako lurched backwards, almost falling off before he lunged forwards, wrapping his arms around Korra in a death grip.

She turned around and laughed at his wide eyes, trying to ignore the feeling of his arms around her, and how strong and warm he felt pressed up against her. Urging Naga to go faster, Korra felt his arms tighten around her and him suck in a breath as Naga launched herself off a small cliff and into the water.

The water here was warm compared to in the South Pole but Korra knew it was cold for normal people. So she might have bent the splash a little bigger than it was, making sure Mako got completely soaked, thinking that revenge was sweet. After he was such a jerk to her when they first met, he could deal with a bit of water.

Spluttering and shaking water out of his eyes, Mako leaned forward to speak in Korra's ear. "Thanks for the shower, although I didn't realize I smelled so bad."

Korra smiled at his unexpected response and said, "That was for Naga. I was worried your stench would knock her out and I'd be stuck in the middle of the water with a huge polar bear dog and stinky firebender,"

She felt him laugh against her. Naga's powerful stokes were quickly bringing them close to shore right next to the arena. Bending the water, Korra propelled them up onto the outside walkway with a thump.

Mako slid off Naga, then unexpectedly held out his hand to help Korra down. She didn't need it of course, but took his hand anyways, landing next to him. They locked eyes for a second, then both looked away quickly, letting go.

After telling Naga to wait out front, Korra and Mako headed inside. The door to the training room was open, and Korra walked in, then sprang to the side as a stone disk came flying at her. She hit the floor, rolling up into a crouch, instantly ready to attack.

"Look alive! It's a sudden attack!" a voice hollered and she looked up just in time to see Bolin leaping off a tall stone pillar, flinging disks at her as he flew through the air, green eyes sparkling.

She dodged the first two, then knocked the second pair out of the air with a quick burst of fire.

Bolin landed next to her, a huge grin on his face, dimples standing out and making him look like a little kid. "Nice reflexes," he complimented. " But you cheated with the fire."

Korra laughed, punching him affectionately on the shoulder. "Sorry Bolin, I mean, Sifu Bolin." She winked at him as he stuck his tongue out at her.

"So," she asks, cracking her knuckles. "What's on the agenda for today?" She looked around, half hoping the brothers has set up some sort of obstacle course for her. She could use a good work out right about now.

Bolin opened his mouth to reply but Mako cut him off. Korra looked over to find him watching her with cool eyes. "We need to work on a few combinations and explain more defensive techniques to you."

"Defense?" Korra repeated. "But why not just work on better attacks so we can take them out before we need to defend ourselves?"

Mako's eyes narrowed. "That's the kind of attitude that's going to get you knocked out of the arena by the other team. A good defense is essential to winning, and especially important as a waterbender."

"You think because I'm a waterbending, I can't fight as well?"

Mako rolled his eyes and Korra felt anger twist in her stomach. "No, I'm simply pointing out that you need to learn all aspects of fighting. And defense is just as important as offense."

Korra strode up to him, poking him in the chest. "Don't you tell me what's important. If it's such a big deal to you, why don't you learn to waterbend, and I'll take over firebending. At least I know how to do it right."

Behind her, Bolin gasped. Korra ignored him and focused on the anger bubbling in her stomach. After having to sit all day, the last thing she wanted was to practice _defense._ She wanted to punch something. And right about now, Mako's face was looking pretty good.

Mako's hands tightened into fists. She stared straight into his eyes, daring him to challenge her. But he just stared back for a second before exhaling loudly, then turning around and walking away. This just made her angrier.

Bolin must have realized this because he started towards her but she just shoved him away and ran at Mako, flinging a ball of flame at him.

He spun around and deflected it at the last second, but the force still managed to knock him to the ground. He jumped up smoking and eyes flashing with anger, and faced Korra, flames ready in his hands.

**Reviews are the best. Comments or questions are great. Just anything really.**


	2. Chapter 2

Korra watched the flames curling around Mako's fingertips through narrowed eyes. How dare he act like she wasn't worth his time! Why was he always so calm? She wanted a fight!

"Come on Mako," she called. "Why don't you prove me wrong? Show me how good of a bender you are. Unless you're too scared to fight me." She smirked as he glared at her.

"Uhm, guys… maybe we should just-" Bolin tried, but before he could even finish, Mako launched a fireball at Korra.

She ducked it and came up laughing, but stopped as Mako ran, kicking fire at her. She dodged it, running to meet him and swirling flames in a vortex. He easily broke though, aiming a kick to her head. She dove under his leg and came up behind him. But he was ready for her and blocked her punch.

Damn, he's fast, she thought, bouncing around on the balls of her feet to avoid his attacks. She starts getting into it, bending fire with sharp jabs and strong kicks. She's working up a sweat and it felt great. But she hasn't even really hit him yet. And he didn'tt appear to be phased at all, just continued dodging and comes at her from all angles, watching her with steady eyes.

It's the eyes that are getting to her, distracting her when she needs to focus. And he knows it. Suddenly an arc of flame rushes by her and she is barely able to avoid it. The heat burns her face and she skips back, shaking her head to focus.

Mako senses her moment of weakness and rushes in, quick and merciless. He moves so fluid, it's almost beautiful as shot after shot of fire rushes at her. Korra is fighting back with everything she has, putting all her energy into the fire, but before she knows it, she is on her back, blinking sweat out of her eyes, and Mako is pinning her down.

"If you knew good defense, I wouldn't have knocked you down," he said quietly, eyes locked with hers. "You attacked me with all you had and left yourself vulnerable."

Smug bastard, she thought, gritting her teeth. She had a snarky reply, she knew she did, but all she could think about was his body against hers, the heat of his hands circled around her wrist. So she just stared at him silently, eyes wide.

His expression softens, and he lets go of her wrists. "You aren't doing anything wrong Korra, you just need to learn more than attacking. Being the Avatar is about balance."

He is right. And that makes Korra mad. Mad at herself for acting like a child, for losing against Mako, and for him being so calm about it.

So instead of being mature and agreeing with him, she jabbed her knee up into his stomach, knocking him off of her and into a ball.

"Next time don't let your guard down," she shot at him as he struggled to his feet, holding his stomach with a look of disbelief on his face.

Annoyed, she turned around and stalked off to the locker room. "What are you looking at?" she snarls at Bolin who is watching her with a look of admiration and fear. He jumped back looking frightened and avoided eye contact.

- Korra and Mako didn't talk for two days. She just practiced with Bolin and pretended he wasn't there, always watching her. But on the third day, she couldn't take it anymore. After training, Bolin went in to change and Mako was over putting away weights.

He was putting the last of them away when she walked over. He glanced up at her and she took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry about the other day," she said quickly. He looked surprised and she couldn't blame him. "I know you're a great firebender and I didn't mean to insult you."

He was quiet for a moment and she hoped he didn't expect her to apologize more. Then he nodded. "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have fought you or pushed you. I just really want to win this thing."

"No, I'm glad you fought me! I mean, I really learned a lot. And I'd like to fight against you more often. You're right, I do need to learn more defense and I feel like you'd be the perfect teacher," Korra said sincerely.

Mako smiled at her, hesitantly, like he didn't do it that often.

"But only if you stop going easy on me," Korra said in a serious tone. "I can't keep beating you every time. It makes you look bad."

He laughed quietly, and headed into the locker room, shaking his head. Korra watched him for a second before leaving.

- The next few days actually went smoothly. After swearing up and down that she would continue airbending training with renewed vigor after the tournament, Tenzin grudgingly allowed Korra to train with Mako and Bolin every day. She arrived at the arena every morning and worked with them all day until she was almost too exhausted to go home. It was hard and frustrating and tiring, and Korra had never been more happy in here life.

She got there in the morning, ready for another sneak attack from Bolin. But the room was surprisingly empty. Suspicious, Korra snuck forward until a noise behind her sent her rolling across the floor and shooting fire randomly towards the noise.

Expecting to see Bolin charging at her, she was surprised to see Mako picking himself up off the floor.

"Oh jeesh, sorry Mako, I thought you were Bolin," she explained.

He just got up and brushed himself off, shooting her an amused look. Still suspicious, she looked around but the room really was empty. Just her and Mako. Suddenly she felt really hot.

"He was gone when I got up this morning. Probably just off with another one of his fangirls," Mako said, his frown clearly showing how he felt about that. "He'll show up sometime."

Korra wasn't surprised to find that she didn't mind that Bolin was gone. There was an awkward silence where she swung her arms back and forth, trying to think of something to say.

"So… wanna show me some defensive moves? She asked.

He shrugged, his face expressionless. "Sure, why not. Do some waterbending for me really quick."

Korra got in position, feeling the weight of his gaze on her body. Taking a deep breath, she pulled some water out of the bucket and began bending it. She formed it into whips and struck at invisible enemies, swirling it around herself.

She jumped out of her skin when Mako came up behind her and grabbed her arms, the water falling to the ground with a splash, soaking into her shoes.

"Sorry, you scared me," she muttered, blushing.

He just looked amused. "Try again but this time let me help you."

She nodded, determined not to make a fool of herself. Bending the water into whips again, she felt Mako press his body against hers, grabbing her wrists. She forced herself to focus and breathe deeply.

"Now just move with me," he murmured in her ear, twisting her body to the side and into a defensive position. Moving slowly, he showed her how after an attack, to go right into the defensive stance, and out again. They moved together, sometimes going through whole series of moves, until Mako was satisfied she knew them.

He stepped away from her, cold air rushing to where he had been pressed against her, and Korra shivered.

"Go through them again," he said, watching her.

She did as he said, her head clearer without him so close. As she moved into the last stance, he stopped her.

"Your arm needs to be lower, to protect that weak point," he said, shifting her arm down. She looked up and made eye contact then her brain froze.

He was close enough to feel his breath on her face, stirring her hair, and his lips looked soft and perfect. Korra knew she was being stupid, but he was just so close to her and his eyes were so beautiful and he smelled like sweat and fire and lemon.

She leaned forward, his eyes widening. But then Mako, blinked, and stepped back quickly. He turned around, back to her, and she heard him exhale loudly.

Korra's face burned with embarrassment. What was wrong with her? She had been thinking about kissing him. Kissing Mako. She felt glad he had enough sense to step away, but at the same time, she felt hurt and embarrassed.

"We should probably keep practicing," Mako said loudly, turning around but avoiding eye contact. His face was red too.

Korra wanted to just leave and never face him again. But she sucked it up and put her hands on her hips, looking him straight in the eye.

"Okay, sounds good," she said in a bored voice.

He stared at her for a second, a little crease between his eyebrows, then walked to the other end of the room and started shooting big fast flames at a dummy. Korra mentally kicked herself a few times, and then went back to waterbending.

Time flew by quickly and before she knew it, the sun was setting. They hadn't talked all day, but when she stopped to take a break, Mako walked over, his eyes tight with concern. It took her a second to realize why.

Bolin still wasn't back yet.

**- So I probably won't update until I get a decent amount of reviews. Feedback is an important part of writing for me :) jut let me kknow what you guys think :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to everyone that have left me reviews! It means so much to me that you like my story so far :) Thanks again, and if you keep up with the awesome reviews, maybe I'll reward you ;) hehe**

"Where do you think Bolin could be?" Korra asked, scratching Naga behind the ear while Mako put his jacket on. They were going to look for Bolin after Korra refused to left Mako do it alone.

"I have an idea, but I hope I'm wrong," Mako muttered.

"Well, let's just check all the bars and stuff. I bet he's just partying with some cute girl and forgot to check in." Korra tried to sound upbeat, but Mako's eyes tightened with worry.

"Hey, doom and gloom," she said, punching him in the shoulder. "I'm sure it's fine."

"You don't know that," he snapped at her, shrugging away her hand. "Let's just get going."

He climbed up on Naga without looking at her. Korra felt hurt but knew he was just worried. She climbed up in front and leaned forward so her mouth was next to Naga's ear.

"Go find Bolin! Yes, good girl, go find him!" Just to make sure, Korra held out one of Bolin's shirts she had stolen for Naga to sniff.

She raised her head and sniffed a bit, then took off down the road. Korra was worried for a second that they had lost Mako, but when she turned around to check, she found him sitting there, holding onto Naga tightly. His posture was stiff, lips pressed together. It didn't take a genius to see he was worried out of his mind.

The route Naga was taking them went through twisty streets and an area Korra hadn't been to yet. It was dark and sinister looking, making Korra tense in her seat. The last thing she needed was a distraction from finding Bolin. If anyone attacked them, she would take them out.

"Where are we?" she called back to Mako.

"We're headed to the Triple Threat Triad headquarters," Mako replied, after a second of hesitation.

Korra frowned. "I encountered them once. I stopped them from burning down some man's shop. What would Bolin be doing with them?"

He sighed loudly. "I told him not to but-" He was cut off as Naga barked and turned sharply, racing down a street.

"Woah Naga!" Korra yelled, trying to take control. But Naga just ignored her and continued to chase whatever she had found.

They came to a stop at a lamppost, and Korra spotted a furry creature on it.

"No Naga! Pabu is a friend, not a snack," she said sternly. Pabu was Bolin's fire ferret so maybe they were getting close to where Bolin was. He scurried across Naga's back and over to Mako, climbing up on his shoulder.

He smiled briefly, then got serious. "We should keep moving."

With Naga back on track, it only took them a few minutes to reach the headquarters. Mako hadn't explained why Bolin would be here but Korra wasn't going to push him. It didn't matter why he was here; they just needed to find him.

Mako hopped off quickly, Pabu still on his shoulder. "Something isn't right. Normally there are a few thugs hanging around outside to keep guard." It was obvious Mako had been here before but Korra didn't comment.

"We need to be cautious," he said, then crept up to the door. Korra held in a giggle as he peeked in carefully, looking ridiculous as he tried to be "cautious." But it was strangely endearing too.

He glanced at her then gestured for her to come over. Holding in her laughter, she strode right up the door and kicked it in. Proud of herself that she actually managed to knock both doors in, she ignored the look Mako shot her.

She already suspected that no one would be here and a quick scan of the place just confirmed that. They looked at each other and she started to shrug when she heard voices. They both took off running and burst through a set of doors.

The first thing Korra noticed were the people on motorcycles, wearing really weird outfits. They had some sort of strange masks on their faces, making it impossible to see what they looked like.

The next thing she noticed was Bolin sitting in the back of a truck, hands and feet tied and a gag over his mouth. There were some other people in the truck with him but no one that Korra recognized.

"Bolin!" Mako yelled, alarm making his voice a little higher than normal.

There was a second before the truck's doors closed where Korra made eye contact with Bolin. His normally sparkling green eyes were wide with fear and one of them was swelling shut, like he had been hit. Then the doors closed and the truck took off.

Korra felt rage spread through her body and she started towards the truck. But the guys on motorcycles pulled out cans, flicked something at the top and threw them on the ground. Green smoke poured out, obscuring Korra's vision and making her throat sting and eyes water. Off to her left, she heard Mako coughing and stumbling around.

Attempting to pull in a breath, Korra managed to call for Naga. As the big polar dog barreled towards her, she managed to grab hold of the harness and pull herself up, then grabbed Mako by the back of his jacket and tossed him on behind her.

"After them Naga," Korra hollered as they burst out of the smoke. The motorcyclists disappeared around a corner and Naga ran after them. They came around the corner onto an empty street.

Suddenly Naga pitched forward, flinging Mako and Korra off her back. She hit the ground painfully and heard Mako land with a thud and a groan. She jumped to her feet just as the motorcyclists came out of nowhere and charged them.

One came at her, and Korra shot a burst of flame at him, which he dodged easily. He swung at her, which she deflected, then twisted to shoot more fire at him. But he just knocked her arm up, the fire going harmlessly into the air. Korra jumped and spun, kicking an arc of fire, but he just ducked out of the way and came up to meet her next kick with one of his own.

He was faster than she expected but didn't seem to be a bender of any type. Korra felt more confident when she realized this, knowing her bending would always bring her out on top.

Then, he ducked under her raised arm and delivered a series of quick blows to her arm. She cried out in pain as her arm went numb, and throbbed with pain, the fire swirling around her fingers disappearing.

Fighting with a limp arm was awkward but it didn't stop Korra from bending fire at the attacker with her other hand and feet. Despite her best efforts, he was too quick.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mako seemed to be having a difficult time too. As she watched, his attacker struck his arm in the same way, and he let out a gasp of pain, eye widening with surprise and fear. He too was firebending, but none of his flames were getting near the guy.

On her other side, Naga was on the ground, tugging at a cord of some type wrapped around her front paws. The motorcyclists must have thrown it at her when they came around the corner.

Korra focused on her fight but in a matter of seconds, the assailant had struck her quickly all over her body and she collapsed on the ground, numb and terrified.

He took my bending away, she thought, panic racing through her veins. She was completely helpless for the first time she could remember. And it scared her more than anything.

Mako was thrown heavily to the ground in front of her, his chest heaving as he panted. The motorcyclists advanced towards them and Korra couldn't even defend herself.

Then, Naga jumped between them with a loud roar that showed every single one of her teeth and the attackers jumped out of the way. Hackles raised, Naga stalked towards them, Pabu hissing on her back. For a second, Korra thought they were going to try to fight off Naga, but then they ran and jumped on their motorcycles, racing off down the street.

Korra let out a breath she did realize she had been holding in. Bits of hair stuck to her sweaty face but when she tried to brush them away, her arm wouldn't move.

"You okay?" Mako asked hoarsely, rolling over to face her.

Korra nodded her head, feeling panic rise in her throat. She was the Avatar, damn it. She didn't panic. She was cool and calm. Cool and calm.

"I can't move," she said, she voice sounding so shrill she wanted to wince. "They did something to me."

Mako looked grim. "They blocked our chi."

Korra just gaped at him. "What? How do you know? How is that even possible?"

He frowned, the furrow better his eyebrows deepening. "Haven't you been reading the papers? Or didn't Officer Bei Fong tell you?"

Korra just stared at him. They only thing she focused on in the newspaper were the Pro-Bending scores.

"There have been attacks all over the city. Revolutionists who are against bending are doing something. They call themselves Equalists. Somehow, they manage to block people's chi and there have been some kidnappings. Like… like Bolin."

She didn't know what to say. She hadn't even known that was possible. But she remembered that man she saw on the first day here who was talking about the oppression of non-benders.

"How long will we be like this?"

"I'm not sure. The only reason we know what it is, is that in the time of Avatar Aang, he encountered someone who knew how to chi block too. As far as I know, we are the only people who have escaped so far, so Officer Bei Fong has just been mostly speculating."

"I didn't know you were so well acquainted with her," Korra frowned. From what she saw of the officer, she seemed like a jerk.

"I've ran into her a few times," Mako said, grimacing. "And none of those times have been pleasant. But after a match a few weeks ago, one of the benders from the team we beat went missing, so she took us in to interrogate us. That's the only reason I know as much as I do."

The sat in silence for a few minutes, as the feeling slowly returned to Korra's limbs. She felt worn out and exhausted, and her body felt strange, like she had been violated. Having her chi blocked was not something she wanted to happen again.

They stumbled to their feet and Mako crossed his arms, staring off in the direction that the motorcycles had vanished.

Korra knew he was worried about Bolin, but she also knew that they were in no condition to go after him.

She put a hand on his arm comfortingly. "I promise we are going to get Bolin back. But right now we need to head back and rest. We can start again in the morning."

He nodded jerkily, arms dropping to his sides. The look on his face was so distressed that Korra's throat tightened. She wrapped her arms around him, trying to give him some comfort.

His breathing hitched a little, before his arms went around her, so tight it was hard to breathe. They stood there for a minute, as he composed himself and she soaked up the warmth his body radiated. When they broke apart, he offered her a small smile, barely an upturn of his lips, but it make her feel better. They would look for Bolin again in the morning.

And when they found him, those Equalists were going to regret they day they ever took her friend. She would make sure of it.

**Reviews, reviews, reviews, reviews, reviews :D I love you all :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**So I know that most of you probably saw the third episode, and they are kind of going a different direction than I am with the storyline. I apologize, but I had this all planned out before I saw it, so hopefully you guys still like it :)**

Korra stayed with Mako that night. They let Tenzin know that Bolin was missing and they planned to get up early to go find him, so it didn't make sense for Korra to go all the way back to Air Temple Island.

She followed Mako up the stairs and through a door. Their apartment was surprisingly big and open, with lots of windows, and was actually clean. She had been expecting a mess with two boys living her. But then she thought about how uptight Mako was and imagined him yelling at Bolin for making a mess. Yeah, she should have expected it to be clean.

Mako sank down on a couch in the corner, and closed his eyes. There were big dark circles under them. He looked more exhausted than Korra felt. She joined him on the squashy orange couch, searching for something to say

"Mako, why would Bolin be with the Triple Threat Triads?" she asked, a question that had been eating at her. There were a bunch of crooks, and Bolin was the last person she would expect to find with them.

He sighed heavily. "Korra, have you ever even had to pay for something? Had to work for money?"

Korra laughed. "Are you kidding me? Before this, I was kept under lock and key in a compound in the South Pole. Pretty much everything I needed was given to me."

He nodded as if he expected that answer. "Well Bolin and I have been on our own since our parents were killed. We've lived on the streets, having no one to provide for us." He looked away from her searching gaze.

"I'm sorry." Korra said softly. "I have no idea how hard that would be."

"The Triple Threat Triad usually offers insane amounts of money to benders, using them as thugs. No doubt, Bolin thought the money was too good to ignore. We always need cash, and if we don't win this tournament, we won't have anywhere to go or any money. We'd be back on the streets"

Korra thought about it for a second. There was no way she would let that happen. Mako and Bolin were like her new family and the only friends she had ever had besides Naga. But she could understand why Bolin would work for the gang. He probably just wanted to make Mako happy. "Well that isn't so bad, is it? I mean, there are worse things than thug work. Even if it is for criminals."

Mako shook his head. "I used to work for them. Bolin and I were in serious need of money, since living on the streets was becoming dangerous. I thought thug work wouldn't be so bad and the pay was great. But it got to the point where they wanted me to hurt people, to burn them with my bending. I couldn't do it so I had to leave. Bolin wouldn't last a day in there." He paused for a second, swallowing heavily. "And they don't react kindly to people backing out."

"What did they do to you?" Korra asked gently.

He stared down at his hands, and didn't reply.

There was a moment of silence, and Korra felt like she crossed a boundary. Mako and Bolin had a harder life than she could ever imagine. She thought about all the times over the time she had know them that she had complained about stupid things. They must have thought she was so petty. When she came to RepublicCity, she thought everyone was living it up and wealthy. Now she was seeing the bad side of it.

"What would the Equalists want with Bolin?"

Mako frowned. "I don't know. But seeing as they hate benders, it can't be anything good."

"I just can't figure out why they would take him. I mean, if they had wanted to hurt him or something, they could have just done it."

"Well, whatever the reason, he is in serious trouble. We need to find him."

Korra let out a yawn and settled back into the couch. Her body was exhausted, but her mind was still whirling. It was going to be a long night.

"Mako?" she said hesitantly. "How did you parents die?"

He looked her in the eyes, and the pain and sadness in them made her want to take back the question. He sat back, pulling his scarf up around his mouth, and inhaled.

"They were mugged by a firebender. He cut them down right in front of me. I was only eight years old. Bolin is all I have left." His golden eyes begged her to understand how much Bolin meant to him, how much he needed him.

Korra just nodded once, trying to tell him that she would do whatever it took to get his brother back.

"Bolin isn't all you have," she said before she could stop herself. "I mean, you're stuck with me now too. And I'm not going anywhere. So deal with it."

Mako let out a little laugh, but his eyes were soft. Korra looked away embarrassed. After a minute, she yawned again, her brain feeling foggy.

"Are you tired? There are beds upstairs if you want to go use one." Mako gestured to a ladder Korra hadn't noticed before.

"Nah, I'm comfortable here." She mumbled sleepily.

"Me too," Mako murmured.

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer to him. If she wasn't so sleepy, Korra probably would have gasped in shock. But he was warm and before she knew it, she was drifting off, falling asleep to the smell of smoke and lemons.

- When Korra woke up, it took her a minute to remember where she was. But it all came flooding back to her and she sat up, mind spinning. She was still on the couch, with Mako's coat was draped over her, his scarf placed under her head as a pillow, and he was nowhere in sight.

"Mako?" she called hoarsely, her voice still rough from sleep. There was no reply and a slight feeling of unease started to curl in her stomach. she squahed it down. He could have just moved upstairs to get some sleep.

Korra stumbled to her feet, looking around. She climbed up the ladder, and peeked in all the rooms. There was a bathroom, two bedrooms, and a little extra room, but Mako wasn't in any of them.

She searched in the training room and outside, but he wasn't anywhere. Finally, she went back upstairs and sat on the couch.

Worst-case scenario, Mako was taken somehow. Best-case scenario, he decided to go on a walk. Korra was really hoping it wasn't the worst case right now. She knew Mako could take care of himself, but he would do anything for Bolin.

Fifteen minutes later, she heard creaking as someone climbed the stairs up to the room. Relief quickly turned into suspicion. For all she knew, maybe it was someone coming for her. She scrambled over to the wall next to the door, flattening herself against it. Holdin her breath, she listened, trying to hear if it was more than one person. Her body was tense, ready to take out anyone who came through that door that wasn't Mako.

The footsteps go closer, and as the door opened, she caught a whiff of lemons.

"Mako!" she exclaimed, jumping out from the wall, ridiculously happy and relieved it was him.

He jumped, a look of complete surprise on his face, and promptly splashed the two cups of steaming tea he was carrying all over himself.

Swearing and trying to keep his now soaking wet and boiling shirt off his skin, he turned to her.

"What the hell were you doing?" he yelled, looking murderous.

She held her hands up in defense. "I didn't-"

"You can't jump out of nowhere at people!" He cut her off.

"I'm sorry!" Korra yelled back. "I thought maybe you were one of the Equalists. Next time, you should let me know before you disappear!"

Mako's face was bright red with anger. "I didn't want to wake you up," he said. "Excuse me for trying to be nice."

Korra growled in frustration. Stupid boy. She bent the tea off his clothes and back into the cups, then stomped over to the couch and sat down, scowling.

Mako walked over and sat down next to, arms crossed. After a second, he said stiffly, "I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Korra looked away, pouting. "I was worried about you. You could have been in trouble. And I didn't scare you on purpose."

He sighed. "I know, I'm sorry." There was a rustling noise and a bag appeared in Korra's line of sight.

"I brought you breakfast," he said, dangling the bag in front of her. "But since you obviously don't want it," he moved the bag away and opened it, "I guess I'll just eat it myself."

Korra's mouth watered at the smell of fresh sweet buns. "Give me that," she snapped, snatching one out of his hand. She couldn't hold back the little moan of delight when she took the first bite. Tenzin kept her on a strict healthy diet, which meant no sweet buns.

Mako chuckled, then his expression turned serious as he reached in his pocket.

"I think I got a lead on where we can find these guys. And Bolin." He showed her a paper that had a guy in a mask on it. Korra's previous irritation at him disappeared as she took the papaer from him.

"The revelation," she muttered, reading it. "What does that even mean?"

Mako shrugged. "There was some guy yelling stuff about stopping the oppression and fighting benders. I caused a distraction and stole one of these off his table." Korra guessed his distraction had involved lots of fire from the mischievous look on his face.

"That's Amon, isn't it?" she asked, touching the picture on the masked man. Even on paper, he looked sinister.

"Yeah, and I guess he is giving some speech tonight." Mako turned the paper over. "I figured out that the back is part of a map and found where it is." He had written an address on the back.

Korra felt useless. "You should have woken me so I could have helped."

"Well I wasn't planning on finding this when I went to get breakfast, and you needed rest." He shrugged.

She nodded, still feeling bad. "Well at least we have a lead. It isn't until tonight though."

Mako nodded absentmindedly. Thinking about Bolin, no doubt.

Korra tightened her hands into fists. "We are going to find Bolin and figure out what these Equalists are doing. I promise."

**So obviously things are different from the episode, which I apologize for. But you can all deal with it ;) Review please :D I won't update until I get a decent amount :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**I apologize for this chapter being kind of boring since we already saw this on TV. But it had to be done. Hopefully you guys like it anyways :) **

After sitting around all day, it was finally time for them to leave. Having to wait and deal with the worry and Mako's constant pacing had almost driven Korra crazy. She was ready to go and fight some Equalists and get Bolin back. If anything, just so it would stop Mako's worrying. The sun was setting and Korra could feel the anticipation twisting in her stomach. Mako had run upstairs a few minutes ago and tossed a box down.

"What's that for?" Korra asked as Mako opened it up.

"Disguises," he said. "Everyone in this city knows who you are and I'm fairly famous too. We can't just waltz into an anti-bending rally." He tossed out various articles of clothing, digging around into the depths of the box.

Korra nodded, feeling stupid she hadn't thought of it.

He tossed her a heavy coat that smelled kind of musty, but as she put it on, she caught a whiff of something floral. A hat followed, which Korra pulled down low over here forehead.

"These actually fit surprisingly well," she commented. The coat was a little tight around the shoulders and perhaps a bit short in the sleeves, but not noticably so.

"They were my mother's," Mako said softly, looking away.

Korra looked down, feeling weird that she was wearing Mako's dead mother's clothing. But the fact that her let her wear it, made her feel touched. Especially since, watching him carefully fold everything up and gently place it back in the box, he obviously cared about it. She noticed a few nice looking things, and the thought of Mako never selling any of it, even when they needed the money, made her sad.

Mako took it back upstairs then returned wearing a newsboy cap. Korra felt herself blush. He looked good. Very good.

He stopped in front of her, looking her up and down. Then he frowned.

"What?" Korra demanded, crossing her arms. How dare he frown at her, like she was so unpleasant to look at. Jerk.

Mako rolled his eyes, and unwound his red scarf. Then to her completely surprise, he stepped forward, wrapping it around Korra slowly. He caught her eye and must have seen the astonishment in it.

"To cover your face," he mumbled, cheeks turning red. Korra stared at him, not knowing what to say. Mako always wore his was like wearing a piece of him around her shoulders.

After making sure it was securely wrapped around her, he stepped back, nodding in satisfaction but avoiding her eyes.

"Let's go," he muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets and striding off. Korra took a second to stroke the scarf's soft but worn fabric, and pulled it up, breathing in the bitter scent of lemon's and smoke.

- They decided to ride Naga, but left her hidden next to the neighboring building. The "revelation" was taking place in a dirty looking warehouse in the depths of the bad side of the city.

Walking up to the entrance, Korra grabbed Mako's arm, feeling his muscles tense with surprise.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"We'll attract less attention this way," she whispered. A couple was less suspicious, right?

At the door, a huge man stood there, clearly the guard. He frowned at them, his thin lips tightening.

"No one gets in without an invitation," he rumbled, crossing his arms and moving to stand in the doorway.

"Invitation?" Korra said, glancing at Mako. He didn't say anything about getting an invitation.

"You mean this?" Mako asked, pulling the paper advertising the event out of his pocket.

Korra was relieved when the guard stepped aside. It would have been hard to take him out without making any noise. But part of her was annoyed. What did Mako have to think of everything? She almost started pouting but realized that if it came down to a fight, she would be the one kicking some serious ass. She grinned. Leave the pansy planning to Mako. She'd take care of the real stuff.

They came up onto a balcony area, and below them was a massive crowd of people. It seemed like the whole city was there. Korra had no idea there were so many people against bending. The thought of it made her feel sick.

They worked their way down into the crowd, and then began their journey to the front. A huge stage was set up, with a giant poster of Amon. Mako and Korra had made it a few rows back from the stage when the lights dimmed and Amon appeared.

Korra's breath caught as he surveyed the crowd, sure he would see her. There was something so penetrating about his gaze, and she shivered as it passed over her.

The crowd went silent and Amon started speaking, he voice ringing out through the whole room.

"My quest for equality began many years ago. When I was a small boy, my family and I grew up on a small farm. We weren't rich and none of us were benders. This made us very easy targets for the firebender who extorted my father. One day, my father confronted this man. But when he did, that firebender took my family from me."

Next to her, Mako stiffened, eyes tightening.

Amon paused for effect before continuing. "Then… he took my face." There was a collective gasp as what he said sunk in. Korra felt nauseous.

"I've been forced to hide behind a mask ever since." Mako and Korra glanced at each other, both disturbed by his story.

"As you know, the Avatar has recently arrived in Republic City. And if she were here, she would tell you that bending brings balance to the world. But she is wrong." Around them people starting booing at the mention of Korra, and she pulled the scarf up higher around her face. Mako looked around, his expression murderous.

"The only thing bending has brought to the world is suffering. It has been the cause of every war in every era. But that is about to change. I know you have been wondering, what the revelation is. You are about to get your answer."

"Since the beginning of time, the spirits have acted as guardians of our world, and they have spoken to me. They say the Avatar has failed humanity. That is why the spirits have chosen me, to usher in a new era of balance. They have granted me a power that will make equality a reality. The power to take a persons bending away… Permanently."

A loud gasp of shock when through the crowd and Korra froze, eyes widening.

"That's impossible," she whispered, fear filling her. There was no way. Bending was good, it shouldn't be taken away. To do so seemed so wrong.

"This guy's insane," Mako whispered back, brows furrowed.

"Now, for a demonstration," Amon said. "Please welcome Lightning Bolt Zolt, Leader of the Triple Threat Triad, and one of the most notorious criminals in Republic City."

People around Korra started booing, their anger and excitement rising up like a dark cloud. As the line of people was brought onto the stage, she spotted Bolin at the end, eyes wide.

"There's Bolin," she said, starting forward. But she was stopped by Mako pulling her back.

"Wait. We can't fight them all. We need to be smart about this."

"Then come up with a game plan, Team Captain." Korra had to remind herself that Mako was the planning guy, and she was the action woman. And when he was done being all cautious, she would act.

Amon went on to talk about the faults of Zolt and how his reign was coming to an end. The Equalist goonies hovering around the back end of the stage untied Zolt, Amon saying he would give him a chance to fight.

Zolt skipped back, a confident smile on his face, and shot a burst of flame at Amon, who just stood there then jumped aside unnaturally fast at the last second. He continued to dodge the attacks, making his way closer and closer to Zolt.

When Amon was only a few yards away, Zolt whipped his arm forward, lightning sparking out of his fingers, flying at Amon.

Korra's breath caught. She had only seen lightning bending done once, by the firebending trainerwho taught her back in the South Pole, and this Zolt was using it like he did every day. Watching it streak across the stage was both beautiful and terrifying, and Korra knew she wanted to learn how to do it.

Amon ducked under the bolt, grabbed Zolt's arm and twisted it upwards, redirecting the lighting across the ceiling. It exploded across pipes and lights, then abruptly ended as Amon forced Zolt to the ground and pressed his thumb to Zolt's forehead. Zolt froze, his body stiffening as Amon towered over him, his finger pressed to his forehead like it was sucking the life right out of Zolt.

Korra watched, unable to look away as he let out a final burst of fire, then collapsed to the ground shivering. After a second, he pushed himself up and tried to bend at Amon, but fell on his face, nothing happening.

"What… what did you do to me?" he rasped, staring at Amon's masked face in horror.

"Your firebending is gone," he boomed. "Forever."

Korra couldn't move. She was paralyzed with fear as the implications of what Amon had done sank in. He had actually done it.

"The era of bending is over," Amon said. "A new era of equality has begun."

All around Korra, people began to scream and cheer.

**You guys know the drill. The more reviews I get, the faster I will update :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I know this part was also on the episode, but I'm changing up just a few things. And thanks so much to everyone who left me such lovely reviews! You are all too sweet 3**

Up on the stage, Lightning Bolt Zolt was taken away and the next person in line was brought forward to face Amon. Bolin was looking terrified, eyes darting around, clearly looking for an escape.

"Got a plan yet?" Korra muttered to Mako. She was determined to just focus on saving Bolin right now. Everything else could wait.

Mako cracked his knuckles, looking around desperately. He shook his head. "We can't fight them, they would take us out. But we need to get Bolin."

In the end, Bolin came to them. His hands were untied and he was shoved forward, towards Amon who stood there waiting for him. Korra tensed, ready to do something, anything to keep Amon from touching him. Mako had rozen, not sure what to do. But before Korra could do anything, Bolin exploded a stone wall through the stage and up, knocking several Equalists aside, and dove off the stage into the crowd.

He shoved through the first few rows of people while the Equalists gathered themselves. The people in the crowd didn't even attempt to stop him, no doubt scared he would crush them under a rock. When he reached them, Mako grabbed his arm. Bolin spun around, eyes wide with terror, then grinned in relief when he saw Korra and Mako.

"After him!" Amon said, and the Equalists sprang off the stage, flipping through the air towards them. Improvising, Korra exploded the water out of the pipes above them, causing the crowd to scream and run as water washed over them. Bending the torrent of water towards the stage and their pursuers, Korra shoved Mako and Bolin ahead of her and sprinted towards the exit.

"Oh my god, I love you guys so much!" Bolin babbled as they ran.

"Shut up!" Mako yelled, sending a blast of fire ahead of them to blow the door off its hinges.

Korra took a sharp left and was halfway down the hallway before she realized Mako and Bolin had gone the other way.

"This way!" she yelled, skidding to a stop. They turned, running back towards her, but a group of Equalists burst through the doorway, cutting them off.

Korra took off, hoping to draw them away from Mako and Bolin. Bursting through another door, she jumped and turned in midair, kicking up a stone block, knocking two of the four Equalists up into the ceiling. They crumpled to the ground, knocked out.

The other two came at Korra from both sides, and she went into a low sweeping kick, fire shooting out across the floor. They both dodged it, kicking at her and jabbing at her limbs, clearly trying to block her chi again. Noticing the pipes weaving overhead, Korra bent the water out of them, whipping at the two attackers. They jumped back, but Korra advanced pressing them against the wall, and created an unavoidable wave of water. The Equalists tried to dive through it, but Korra froze it quickly, incasing them in ice. Despite their struggles, the ice didn't budge and, satisfied that they couldn't escape, Korra took off again.

She needed to find Bolin and Mako before something happened to them. The next door she took led her outside and she rounded the corner, entering a back alley. Up ahead, she saw Mako and Bolin climbing down a ladder.

Before her happiness at seeing them alive could kick in, a man jumped out of the doorway on the roof. Entranced, Korra watched as he pulled out two sticks and twirled them in his hands, standing above the ladder. Mako looked up, just in time to see him as electricity shot up and down the sticks, and the man jabbed them onto the ladder.

Korra could see the first spark shoot down the ladder, followed by a torrent of electricity. Mako and Bolin screamed, letting go of the ladder and falling heavily to the ground. Her heart stopped. Lightning was incredibly dangerous and Avatar Aang was the only person known to have survived a direct hit. Did this count as lightning?

The man stuck his sticks, no longer shooting electricity, back in his holsters, and jumped down, landing lightly on the ground. Korra started forward, rage filling her body as Mako and Bolin struggled to their feet, wincing.

Before she could help though, something clamped down on her arm, yanking her back into the shadows. The huge bodyguard from before loomed over her, the grip on her arm bruising, a huge wrench in his other hand. Korra struggled to free herself, but his grip was too tight. So she bit him, clamping down on his hand with all her jaw strength.

The giant roared in pain, letting go of her, and she quickly darted around behind him. He might be big but she was quicker and she could bend. But he spun around quicker than she expected, clipping her in the shoulder with the wrench. Pain shot through her whole arm and she gritted her teeth to hold in the cry of anger.

Ducking a punch, she firebent, a hot inferno blasting from her fist, and hitting him squarely in the chest. He flew backwards, crashing into a brick wall.

Korra moved her arm tenderly, feeling the deep bruise that was no doubt already forming. She would have stopped to check it out, but a cry of pain from Bolin pulled her over to their fight.

She came around the corner in time to she Mako shoved up against a wall, being electrocuted. His cry echoed around the alley, as he collapsed limply and lay there smoking slightly. Across from him, Bolin was laying in a similar position.

"You benders need to learn that there's no place for you in the world anymore," the man said, standing over Mako.

Korra's pulse pounded in her ears. With a surge of anger, she stomped, sending a block of stone up underneath the man, smashing him into the wall. He groaned, then went limp, sprawling out on the ground.

Korra ran over to Mako, who was lifting himself up on unsteady arms. Relief filled her as she pulled him up. His pain filled gold eyes met hers for a second, before the slid to the left, focusing on Bolin, who was softly groaning.

"Naga!" Korra yelled, noticing a group of Equalists gathering on the roof above them.

Naga burst around the corner, and Korra tossed Mako on her back, then jumped on after him.

"Get Bolin," she ordered, and Naga scooped down, grabbing Bolin's shirt in her mouth and running down the street with him dangling between her front paws.

Korra glanced back and found Amon standing at the edge of the roof, watching them retreat. She turned around, shivering, and urged Naga to go faster, trying to escape his gaze.

- They ran full speed all the way back to the arena, only stopping once to let Bolin up on Naga's back.

"I don't think we were followed," Korra said, closing the door behind them once they made it up to Mako and Bolin's apartment. It had been a painful journey up the stairs for them and Korra was anxious to get a look at their injuries.

She ran and filled up a bowl with water, setting it on the ground next to the couch.

"Let me see where you're hurt," she said to Mako. He was obviously in pain but shook his head.

"Bolin first," he said, and Korra knew it was pointless to argue. Mako would always put Bolin before himself.

She moved over to Bolin who was sitting on the ground, too exhausted and sore to even talk. Wincing, he pulled his shirt up, revealing two burn marks. They were red but not as bad as Korra had expected. She realized that it was probably because he was wearing several thick layers.

Bending the water out of the bowl, she wrapped it around her hand and placed it on Bolin's burns. It glowed and Bolin hissed is surprise from the sensation.

"What are you doing?" Mako demanded, sitting up at Bolin's noise.

"Master Katara showed me the way to heal with waterbending," Korra murmured, focused on channeling the water over Bolin's wounds in a soothing way. "It won't completely heal, but it will make a difference."

A minute later, she removed her hand, Bolin's burns now pink and tender looking. He poked at then experimentally, then smiled gleefully when it didn't hurt.

"That's amazing Korra," he gushed, eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Yes, I know I'm awesome," she muttered, already worn out. But she still needed to heal Mako, and he seemed to be in worse condition that Bolin. She turned to him, preparing herself.

"Head up to bed, Bolin," Mako said. "We can talk in the morning."

"I'm okay, I can-"

"Go," Mako said forcefully, cutting him off.

Bolin's face dropped, but he turned around and climbed up the ladder stiffly.

Korra didn't ask why Mako made him leave like that, instead getting to work on unbuttoning Mako's coat. It was too long to just lift up so she was going to have to take it off. Her cheeks burned as she slid his arms out of the sleeves and tossed it aside. Before she could stop him, Mako quickly pulled off his shirt too, a groan of pain escaping him.

Korra couldn't hold back a gasp. Mako's was much worse. Whether it was because the man held the electric sticks against him longer, or because Mako was wearing less clothes, she didn't know. But she now knew why Mako had made Bolin leave; he hadn't wanted him to see the extent of his wounds.

The two circles on Mako's chest were red and blistered, raw and oozing blood. The skin around them was literally charred and skin was peeling off.

Meeting Mako's eyes, she saw the pain in them. He was hurting badly, much worse than he had shown. Stubborn firebender.

Bending the water, she placed her hand on one burn, a cry sliding between his clenched teeth, back arching. Korra didn't say anything, not even looking at his face, knowing she wouldn't want a memory of what it looked like right now.

She tried to channel all the energy into the burns, healing them as much as she could. It seemed like an hour had gone by when she finally pulled away, collapsing against the side of the couch, water splashing from her hands onto the carpet.

His burns looked just like Bolin's had when she healed him, but it had taken a lot more energy. Her head was pounding and her shoulder throbbing, but she crawled up onto the couch.

She tried it unbutton her coat, wanting to get it off and give it back to Mako, but her hands were shaking too bad. Mako's hands came into view, gently pushing hers away, and he took off her coat just like she had his. Then he pulled off her hat and unraveled his scarf, setting them aside.

Korra settled against the couch, leaning on her hurt shoulder, tears stinging her eyes from the sudden burst of pain. Mako noticed and frowned.

"Where are you hurt?" he asked, voice raspy. He cleared his throat.

She pulled her shirt off her shoulder, revealing an ugly bruise. Korra knew it would hurt for a while, but she'd gotten worse sparring in the South Pole.

Mako grabbed the bowl of water and handed it to her but she shook her head.

"I'm too weak," she whispered, just wanting to crawl in bed and sleep for a month.

Mako's eyes narrowed and he glanced down at his now healed chest, as if blaming it for wearing her out. Korra let out a laugh at his expression.

"What happened?" he asked, gesturing to her bruise.

"The big bodyguard got me with a wrench." She shrugged her good shoulder. "I wasn't expecting him to be so fast."

Mako mouth tightened. "You should have stayed with us," he said.

Korra sighed. She knew this was going to come up eventually.

"It wasn't exactly my fault. They cut me off, in case you didn't notice," she pointed out.

"Well if you had stayed, we could have all fought them together, but instead you took off like a mad woman and took them all on yourself," he growled.

"I didn't have a choice. I was trying to help you guys." This was so unfair of him. She had basically saved them and this was the thanks she got?

"You need to stop taking such stupid risks! Slow down and think every now and then instead of just charging in! I had no idea what was happening to you or if you were okay! And I wouldn't have been able to help you if you'd needed it! You aren't invincible Korra!" he yelled, eyes flashing with anger.

Now Korra was pissed. "Because of me, you guys are alive!" she yelled back. "I saved your asses and took the risk because it would mean that you guys would get out okay! And I won't apologize for that!"

She was screaming in his face and Mako stepped back, shocked when tears started falling. Korra wiped them away angrily. Stupid tears, stupid Amon, stupid Equalists, and stupid Mako.

"You don't even care that I saved your lives and fought for you because you're my friends and I care about you. It's the same reason why now, even though Amon could take away my bending and he scares me so bad and I don't even know what to do, I know I'm going to fight him. For my friends. It's why I take the risks I do." She stared at him, blinking back tears. "I thought you would understand that."

Mako stepped forward, hand outstretched, but she smacked it away.

"I can't be around you right now," she choked out, turning away. She couldn't handle more of his anger, him blaming her for every mistake she made.

"Korra-" he started, but she ran out the door before he could say anything more. Hopping on Naga, they made their way towards Air Temple Island, Korra fighting tears the whole way.

**What did you guys think? Did you like it? Review please :D Also, I was wondering if you guys thought that Mako would be able to bend the electricity in Lieutenant's sticks… Thoughts?**


	7. Chapter 7

**I love that everyone is supporting me to go off in my own direction with this story! Thanks to everyone who left awesome reviews!**

The next morning, Korra woke up, eyes gritty and swollen feeling. Her shoulder was throbbing, and looked worse that yesterday. She rolled out of bed groaning as her body protested, and stumbled into the main room, preparing herself.

"Korra!" Ikki screamed. The three kids turned and launched themselves at her, attaching onto various limbs.

"Where have you been? Daddy's been so worried! Were you with that firebender boy? He's so cute!" she babbled as Korra gently pried them off her.

Tenzin stepped forward. "I was about to send out a search team." He looked her up and down, then studied her face.

"We need to talk," Korra said, hoping her expression showed how important the situation was.

"Children, out!" he said sternly. They pouted and slowly shuffled to the door, until Tenzin sent a gust of air their way that set them tumbling out of the room.

"What happened, Korra? Did you find your friend?" he asked, fatherly concern coloring his voice.

"Yeah, we found him. But we had to go to an Equalist rally. I… I saw Amon." She looked away, not wanting Tenzin to see the fear in her eyes. She had barely been able to sleep last night, too afraid to close her eyes.

"I saw what he can do Tenzin. It's so awful. He… he takes people's bending away. Forever."

Tenzin gasped. "What? That's not possible. Only the Avatar has the power to do such a thing."

"I saw it. He captured some Triple Threat Triad thugs and did it right in front of me. Their bending was really gone." She shuddered, remembering the way their powers had just been extinguished, snuffed out.

"That shouldn't be possible, but if he really has found a way to do it… the consequences." Teniz's eyes glazed over for a second. "No bender is safe."

- Tenzin took Korra over to give a statement to Officer Bei Fong. She was put in the same room as before, the one that radiated cold and made her feel trapped, like she was in a cage with the walls slowly getting closer and closer.

"I don't like you," Officer Bei Fong started, her scar standing out more than usual in the strange lighting. "So I can't help but wonder if you're lying about this."

"What?" Korra exclaimed. "Why would I lie about this?"

"That's exactly what I intend to find out," she said, looking through the folder she had brought in with her. "It says her that you claim Amon took Lightning Bolt Zolt's and others bending away, right in front of you."

Korra nodded. "Like I said before, he just grabbed them, pressed his thumb on their forehead, and their bending went away."

"On their forehead? Hmmmm," Bei Fong said, brows furrowed. She scribbled something down, then turned back to Korra.

"And you didn't recognize his voice, or see anyone you knew there?"

"How could I? I've only been here a few weeks, and all my time is spent either on Air Temple Island or in the Pro-Bending Arena." Korra hadn't even really gotten to explore the city yet.

"And he didn't pursue you?" Bei Fong looked skeptical.

"I'm not sure, but I don't think so. After we escaped, I don't see anyone following us and we weren't attacked."

"So he just let you go?" Again, her tone was skeptical.

"Well, I mean, we escaped, he didn't just let us walk out the front door." Korra was getting frustrated. Very frustrated. "Why are you wasting time asking me all these questions when you should be out there looking for Amon before he takes anyone else's bending away?"

Officer Bei Fong, slammed her hands down on the table. "Because you're a troublemaker, you all are, and you're probably lying about this just to get some extra publicity!"

Korra's jaw dropped. Now she was mad. "Are you kidding me? You think I'd actually lie about this! Maybe you should stop being such a grumpy old lady and start focusing on what's going on in the city! You're supposed to protect it, not sit around and complain!"

They were standing up, nose to nose, and Korra thought Bei Fong was going to hit her.

The door opened with a squeak. "Your next witness is… here," a man called, her trailed off when he saw the stand off.

Korra took her chance and ran for the door. She slipped out into the lobby area, and sat down on one of the seats, waiting for Tenzin. One of the guards glanced at her, as if unsure of what he should do, but she sent him a look that clearly said she would take him out if he tried to drag her back into that room. Putting her head in here hands, she wanted to punch something, then curl up and go to sleep. Exhaustion was making its way through her body, making her head feel foggy.

Lifting her head up, she immediately locked eyes with Mako, who was sitting across from her. He looked exhausted too, with dark circles under his eyes, his clothes rumpled like he had slept in them. Bei Fong must have called him in to get his side of the story.

Korra glared at him for a second, remembering last night, then looked away. She felt his gaze burning a hole in the side of her head, but she didn't look at him.

"Hey look, it's Korra!" Bolin exclaimed, jumping out of his seat to come over to her. He grabbed her out of her chair and gave her a huge hug. "I never thanked you last night for saving and healing me." His grin was huge and Korra couldn't help but smile back.

"It's nothing," she said, punching him in the shoulder. "I'm sure would have done the same, and probably kicked a bit more Equalist butt."

He smiled, but his eyes were serious. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be bending anymore."

Korra didn't know what to say.

"Oh yeah, and I didn't help at all," Mako grumbled, still sitting behind them.

Korra ignored him but Bolin laughed. "Cool down Mako. Korra saved us and you know it. You should be thanking her." Leaning closer to Korra, he loudly whispered, "He's just jealous because you did a better job saving me than he did. He hates to be second best."

Mako jumped up. "You don't know what you're talking about. I'm the one who did all the planning and saving, she just got in the way the whole time. She didn't even help at all until it was time to fight, and she made a mess of that too."

Korra flinched. Okay, that actually hurt, partially because it was true. Sure, she didn't really do much before they went in, but Mako seemed to know what he was doing. But she thought she did find when she was fighting.

Bolin seemed shocked. "Mako, how could you say something like that? Korra helped and without her… hey, wait Korra!"

Korra ignored him, going right out the front door and onto the sidewalk. Immediately, people started glancing at her and keeping their distance. She huffed in frustration, stomping over to a bench and sitting down.

So Officer Bei Fong wasn't going to do anything about Amon, and Mako thought she was good for nothing. She was going to have to take matters into her own hands. The thought of seeing Amon again made her shiver, but the city needed her. And she needed to prove that she was worth something, that she could help. The whole city was expecting things from her.

By the time Tenzin came out to get her, Korra knew what she was going to do. She was going to challenge Amon and take him out before he could do anymore damage.

But she realized that to deafeat him, to even stand a chance, she needed to train more. She saw the way he moved and how he took out the other benders without an effort. She was going to need help.

So later that day, Korra trudged over to the arena, sucking up her pride. Mako and Bolin were in the training room, having a heated discussion about something. Well actually, Mako was having a heated discussion with Bolin, who was just making pouty faces and sad eyes.

Korra stood there for a second, then cleared her throat. Bolin's face lit up as he turned to her. Mako just looked surprised to see her.

"You came!" Bolin hollered, punching a fist into the air. "I knew you would. Mako is the only one who holds grudges."

"I'm actually here because I need a favor." Korra looked around, wondering how she should ask. "I've… well I decided I'm going to challenge Amon to a one on one fight. And I need you guys to help me train and learn as much as I can within the next day or two."

There was silence. Bolin was just staring at her, mouth open. Mako looked like he just got hit over the head with a brick. Then the both started talking at the same time.

"Are you crazy? Why would you even think about doing such a stupid irresponsible-" Mako yelled, storming his way up to her.

"Korra, you can't! You saw what he does to people! If you go, he will-" Bolin said, eyes wide.

"Listen up!" Korra yelled over their talking. They stopped and stared at her. "I'm doing it whether you help me or not." She crossed her arms, daring them to say otherwise.

Mako was the first to respond. "No," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not helping you with this. It's crazy. Amon will take away your bending or you'll be killed."

Korra stared at him, wishing he could understand that she had to do this.

He stared right back at her, his gold eyes swirling with emotion. "I won't help you with this. I can't, knowing that you're just going to get hurt." He turned around and walked out the door, slamming it behind him.

"Bolin?" she asked, turning to him, but he backed away too. Avoiding her gaze, he said, "I'm sorry Korra, but I'm with Mako. I don't want you to fight Amon and I can't help you." He walked away too.

Korra sat down heavily. She wasn't sure what she was expecting, but it wasn't this. To be honest, she was kind of hoping they would demand to go with her. She wouldn't have let them of course, but it would have been nice to know they had her back and cared enough about her to want to help.

She pushed the disappointment down and focused. She was on her own now and wasn't sure what to do. There wasn't much she could do, besides practice and hope for the best.

**So, what did everyone think? Mako is being all cute and concerned for her :D Review and I'll update soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Just warning you guys, this chapter is going to be kind of similar to the show, but I'm changing up a few things. The similarities are on purpose though, since it fits in with my story and I like how it was done.**

Korra was standing outside the Pro Bending arena, having spread the word that she had an announcement to make. A crowd of reporters and spectators had gathered around the steps, and Korra knew that once she faced them, there was no turning back.

She turned, taking a deep breath, and ran into something solid. Confused, she looked up, right into the face of a very angry looking Tenzin.

"What are you doing?" he asked, face slowly turning red.

"Something I have to," she retorted, stepping around him. "I need to show the city that I'm not afraid." She needed to prove herself to the people, to show that she could live up to their expectations of her.

He started to say something, but was drowned out by the voices that called out to her as she stepped forward.

Korra waited for a second before raising her had to silence them.

"I have something very important to say," she started. "Even though I haven't been in Republic City very long, it's clear to me that you need help. Amon is upsetting the balance that I am supposed to keep, and his actions have caused fear and hatred to rise up." She paused, letting that sink in. "So I have decided to fight Amon."

The crowd gasped simultaneously and cameras started flashing, causing colored spots to erupt across her line of vision. Behind her, she heard Tenzin sharply draw his breath. People started yelling questions but Korra talked right over them.

"Amon, if you can hear this, I challenge you to a one on one fight. Meet me tonight at midnight on Aang Memorial Island." Korra stood there for a second, unsure if she should say something else.

Tenzin grabbed her, pulling her into the arena, slamming the door behind him.

"How could you do such a thing?" he boomed, towering about her. "Do you even understand what you have just done? There is no way you are going!"

"I have to!" she said. "Amon needs to be taken care of. I'm the Avatar; I'm supposed to protect the people."

"They are going to expect things from you now! They will expect you to-"

Korra yelled right over him. "They already expect things from me, Tenzin! All people can talk about it how they expect great things from me! I have to do something, or they will lose faith in the Avatar."

She looked away, swallowing around the lump in her throat. "The people that don't know me expect that I'll take care of Amon, believe I will have the power to do it. And the people that do know me think I can't do anything. Either way, I have to do something to show them all that I am willing to do this for the city."

Tenzin was just looking at her sadly now. Korra wanted to get away from his sad, understanding look. She needed to get away from him before he changed her mind.

She turned around, and found herself facing Mako and Bolin, standing at the end of the hallway. They looked like they had just come out of practice, and judging by the looks on their faces, they had heard what she said. Unable to look at them, Korra pushed past them, leaving out the back door.

She ran over to Naga, who nudged her with her cold wet nose and looked at her with trusting eyes. Korra sighed, burying her face into Naga's neck, knowing she would always be there for her.

"Korra, wait!" someone yelled, and she turned around to find Mako standing there.

"Korra," he said. "Why are you doing this? You have to know it's crazy. I know you're scared of Amon, don't even deny it."

"Of course I'm scared!" she exploded, screaming at him, her voice shrill and hysterical sounding. "Why can't you just realize that I have to face him? They expect me to beat him, to save the city from him! And my own friends don't even think I can do anything but make a mess of things. I'm worthless in people's eyes until I prove myself."

Korra was embarrassed from her outburst but satisfied to see that he seemed shocked.

"Is that what this is about? What I said about you making a mess of things and making stupid decisions? Korra, I-" he took a step towards her, arms outstretched. "I didn't mean those things. You know I didn't."

She looked away. "It's not just that Mako." She started adjusting Naga's straps.

"Please," Mako said hoarsely, and Korra turned around in surprise. "Please Korra, don't do this. You saw him. You won't beat him. I don't want you to get hurt. Please, for Bolin and Tenzin and… for me."

Maybe it was the way he said please, or how his eyes were a swirling pool or fear and concern for her, or maybe it was something else, Korra wasn't sure. But before she could stop herself, she covered the few steps between them and kissed him.

The second her lips pressed against his, he stiffened against her in surprise, but Korra didn't pull away. She had never kissed someone before, but his lips felt soft and warm against hers, and she sighed, sinking into the kiss a bit more. Then Mako's arms came up around her, holding her tightly against him, his mouth moving against her, softly and slowly.

She pulled away, knowing she was probably blushing, but wanting to see his expression. He was watching her too, the expression on his face unreadable, and slowly, he lifted a hand to gently touch the side of her face.

Stepping away, Korra shook her head, clearing her thoughts. She couldn't afford to think about these things, not now when she needed to focus.

Climbing onto Naga, she said, "I'm sorry." And she meant it.

But to her surprise, Mako nodded, and Korra felt like he actually understood. She felt like he knew why she neeeded to do this. After all, he too had probably made hard decision in his life. The only difference was that he hadn't had to deal with the pressure of people expecting him to be great. To be amazing and to make a difference like Avatar Aang had.

Riding away on Naga, Korra realized she hadn't kissed Mako because she was scared she was going to die, or would never see him again or something dramatic. It was just because she had wanted to. More than anything. The thought made her smile.

- It was getting close to midnight and Korra had been standing outside the entrance to the building on Aang Memorial Island for the last half an hour. At first, every time something moved she had jumped, but now she just felt calm. The breeze felt nice on her skin and it was a clear night.

The clock struck midnight, the loud bong reverberating through Korra. She sighed, feeling relieved Amon hadn't shown up yet. It seemed like protocol to come to a fight early, just to scope things out.

Stepping out of the shadows, a hooded figure appeared and Korra tensed as he threw back his hood, revealing a masked face.

"Well Avatar, I received your lovely invitation," he said, his cold voice slithering down Korra's spine.

Now that he was here, all her calm feelings left her, and she just felt weak and scared. She wasn't sure what fighting protocol was, but she decided to just go in for an attack, having surprise on her side.

Stomping up a decent sized chuck of earth, Korra kicked it at Amon, but he just stepped aside smoothly.

"I see you're ready for the fight," he said. "So be it."

He ran at her, and Korra desperately shot fire at him, but he just easily dodged everything she sent his way. He spun around, grabbed her outstretched arm in his hand, twisting her down into the ground. Out of nowhere, two Equalists appeared and came over, each one grabbing her arm and holding her still.

Korra's fear rose up in her like a tidal wave. She hadn't even managed to hit him once. How would she be able to do anything without her bending?

Amon came in front of her and reached for her face, Korra biting her lip so hard it started to bleed, as his hand got closer. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her scream. But to her surprise, he reached back and grabbed a handful of her hair instead, yanking her head back.

"Unfortunately, little Avatar," he said. "You won't get your fight today. Our fight will come, a fight that will decide the outcome of this city no doubt, but first, I'm going to tear it apart. I'm going to destroy it, to the point where the Avatar won't be able to repair it. And I'm saving you for last so you can see it all happening around you, unable to stop it or save your friends, so you can realize how helpless you really are."

His smooth voice painted a picture in her mind, one of pain and chaos, of a city in rubble. Korra's heart was beating so loud, it was thumping in her ears and racing through her veins. A cold sweat had broken out across her body. She stared deep into Amon's eyes, seeing nothing but cold hatred and confidence.

"Until we meet again, little Avatar," he whispered, then a sharp pain shot across Korra's head and everything went dark.

**Another chapter down! What did everyone think? Good, bad, amazing, terrible?**

**Review please, and maybe I'll update tomorrow :)**


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